Mopey Monday

County Lends Teens Its Ears

(But how will the county keep their glasses up? What about earrings? Come on - sometimes generosity can be misguided)




Webb May Be Senate Maverick

(Meanwhile, James Garner is awaiting a call from his agent about an apple juice commercial.)






Today in history:

Fifty years ago, on Nov. 13, 1956, the Supreme Court struck down laws calling for racial segregation on public city and state buses, almost a year after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Ala., bus to a white man, sparking a boycott by blacks.

(Wow. What a great reminder of how far America's come, especially on the day that the MLK Jr. Memorial is opening.)


I hope everyone had a good Veteran's Day weekend...I did, most definitely. I did spend most of it sleeping (big surprise), but I did see a really good film that I highly recommend.

"Flags Of Our Fathers" was incredible. No other word for it. I'm a sucker for Clint Eastwood films anyway, and this was no exception.

The film focuses on the flag-raising at Iwo Jima, and the journey of three men from the photograph. These men were sent home early from battle, thanks to that photo. They toured the country for the war bond effort. The story flips between the present, the Iwo Jima battle, and the stateside touring, and I felt it effectively told their stories.

Normally, I don't always like war movies because they never seem to strike a balance between uberpatriotism and utter frustration with war and all it entails. This film did, in my opinion. It showed the attitude for the times - the soldiers that were there were doing a job. Some were hopped up on being a soldier, but others were more pragmatic.

Adam Beach (see photo at left...rowr..,.) in particular, did a wonderful job as Ira Hayes (one of the Marines in the Iwo Jima picture). He was fearless in his portrayal - his character didn't even WANT to be associated with the photo but was pushed into it. The emotions of all that happened on that island were eating him alive and he didn't know what to do. He tried to drown his emotions in drink, and that led to his ultimate downfall. Even though he was being touted as a hero, he was still being discriminated against due to his Native American heritage. The only "high ranking" person that treated him with respect was President Truman (for which I was very glad...I always liked Truman).

So I highly recommend you see this movie if you can handle the subject matter. I feel this film shows a true picture of what WWII soldiers went through, and how much things have changed in our country ever since.

OH, and if this film doesn't get nominated for ANY high awards (Golden Globes/Oscars), I will be most pissed. Amen, so it shall be.

_____

Two more things...and sorry if this is a long-a$$ post, but too bad. Go get a glass of water, stretch, come on back...

Awards time!

Today, we have a "Huh?" Award Winner:




Winner: The Panera Bread Company

Reason: Pursuing a legal argument over whether or not a burrito is actually a sandwich.

To quote the article:

WORCESTER, Mass. - Is a burrito a sandwich?

The Panera Bread Co. bakery-and-cafe chain says yes. But a judge said no, ruling against Panera in its bid to prevent a Mexican restaurant from moving into the same shopping mall.

Apparently, the creator of "all sourdough bread that is holy in this universe, amen" is sweating the competition just a little bit. They tried to exercise a no-competition clause in their lease contract prohibiting another sandwich shop to open in the same mall they reside in.

Then, along comes Qdoba Mexican Grill, and all hell breaks loose. Pesto and salsa fly everywhere, and a humble judge, one Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Locke, is called upon to clear up the issue.

The answer: Nope.

The formulation of said answer was drawn from Webster's Dictionary, a chef and a former high-up federal agriculture official. The judge's legal opinion was worded thusly:

"A sandwich is not commonly understood to include burritos, tacos and quesadillas, which are typically made with a single tortilla and stuffed with a choice filling of meat, rice, and beans," Locke wrote in a decision released last week.

Panera's argument, according to court documents:

...Panera, a St. Louis-based chain of more than 900 cafes, argued for a broad definition of a sandwich, saying that a flour tortilla is bread and that a food product with bread and a filling is a sandwich.

Judge's comments:

1. I think my favorite quote came from a chef in Cambridge, Massachusetts - one Chris Schlesinger. According to an affidavit, Schlesinger is quoted thusly:

"I know of no chef or culinary historian who would call a burrito a sandwich. Indeed, the notion would be absurd to any credible chef or culinary historian."

When I read this quote, I imagined some snooty-looking guy with the puffy chef's hat et. al., and one of those skinny mustaches, sneering down his nose at anything that's not from the Cordon Bleu. He'd hate my kitchen.

2. According to Panera, a broad definition of a sandwich is a food product with bread and a filling. All right...consider this...

The lowly Pop-Tart is made from a flour-based product (the equivalent of a pie crust), with a filling.

If that's the case, then shouldn't a Pop-Tart (in Panera's viewpoint) be considered a sandwich? To stretch this already wafer-thin case a little bit more, don't most grocery stores (with the exception of organic ones) sell Pop-Tarts? For that matter, count in department stores that sell groceries too, like K-Mart, Wal-Mart and Target.

If a no-competition clause is in a Panera's contract, a really broad definition like this would be in Panera's favor. They've also got to consider McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, or any other fast-food chain that slaps a filling of sorts between two pieces of bread.

This has potential, y'all...Panera could become the Godzilla of the sandwich business. They could stomp throughout urban areas, laying waste to all other eateries. I'd better call Toho Studios!

_____

Well, I was going to put a poll up about who Britney and K-Fed should hook up with to fully achieve life-long bliss, but Mr. Fab beat me to the punch as far as Brit is concerned. To quote his comment:

"You don't need a poll. Now that she is available, I am not going to let her slip through my fingers this time..."

Yes, the blogosphere's own Mr. Fabulous has offered himself up to Britney Spears as a human sacrifice...er, life partner...and here are some photos he has provided to Rancho Sudiegirl, Inc. to help him achieve his goal.















Mr. Fab is a very sensitive guy, and I think he'd approve of this description of him:

Mr. Fab enjoys long naps in the tanning bed so his nethers are a nice golden brown. He also likes his Dran-O straight up with a vodka chaser. He's a sensitive guy - he digs long walks on the beach, Precious Moments figurines, Barry Manilow, and cheese in a can.

Brit, I hope you're reading this!

In the meantime, I'll be working on a list of potential (brain-damaged) life partners for K-Fed. Word on the radio (94.7 The Arrow) is that he was in Hagerstown, MD over the weekend buying underwear at Wal-Mart. Wow...be still, my heart.

Remember, I do this because I care, y'all. I CARE about K-Fed's well being. Well, that, and I don't have much better to do.

_____

Well, that's all I have to say about life today...I'll be back tomorrow. Here's a final quote and response for you all to chew on...

Thought for Today:
"If we like a man's dream, we call him a reformer; if we don't like his dream, we call him a crank." — William Dean Howells, American author (1837-1920).

Sudiegirl's comment:
If his dream involves whipped cream, Jello and the game "Twister", we call him a stud.